Aecon awarded portion of Eglinton west extension project
The Ontario government has awarded the contract to build the elevated guideway portion of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension to Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc.
The guideway will be about 1.5 kilometres in length, running along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West from just west of Scarlett Road to east of Jane Street, where the line will head underground again and connect with the future Mount Dennis Station.
“As part of the largest expansion of public transit in Canadian history, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will bring more people in Toronto and Mississauga closer to rapid transit,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria. “This is another step forward in our government’s plan to build critical transportation infrastructure that makes life easier and more affordable for people, while spurring economic growth for decades to come.”
The province says that elevating the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension over the Humber River will maximize travel time savings for commuters, while minimizing impacts to surrounding communities. Once complete, the extension will support as many as 4,600 jobs annually during construction and attract 69,700 daily boardings by 2041.
This latest project announcement is part of the $70-plus billion the province is spending to transform public transit in the GTA, including construction on the largest subway expansion in Canadian history – the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
The announcement of the western extension of the line comes before completion of the line itself. The project was originally planned for completion in 2020. Construction, pandemic and legal problems have delayed that opening, with the TTC now aiming for a target in-service date of September 2024.
Once the west extension is completed, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be extended by 9.2 kilometres, creating a continuous rapid transit line from the east end of Toronto through the heart of the city and into Mississauga.
"We are thrilled to reach another important milestone for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension,” said Metrolinx President and CEO Phil Verster. “When combined with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, this line will bring riders from Mississauga through midtown Toronto and all the way to Scarborough, making it easier for thousands of people to choose transit first and taking an estimated 6.5 million car trips off the road each year."